Cloud of scandal lingers as senators return to Parliament Hill

OTTAWA — Senators return to Parliament Hill Tuesday, with the cloud of scandal still hanging over it as the upper chamber awaits audits into spending of four senators and a legal opinion about one of those being audited — Sen. Mike Duffy — to see if he qualifies to sit in the Senate.

Senate insiders had expected the audits to be released before the end of the fiscal year on March 31. The timing of the releases is still unknown as the audits haven’t yet been delivered to the Senate.

The committee overseeing the audit process — the internal economy committee — will meet this week, although the meeting has not yet been formally announced.

When the committee meets this week, it will likely receive an update on the audits, but hear those details behind closed doors.

Senate leaders have committed to publicly releasing the audits that are reviewing housing allowance claims by three senators — Duffy, Liberal Sen. Mac Harb and independent Sen. Patrick Brazeau — and a fourth audit is reviewing Sen. Pamela Wallin’s travel bill that over the past three years totals more than $300,000.

The audits, however, are only part of the Senate’s business.

There are a number of government bills on the agenda — including one about greater accountability in the RCMP and another that would make it easier for provinces to allow single-game sports betting. The sports betting bill, however, is stalled as a number of senators have indicated they want to speak to the bill that passed through the House of Commons with all-party support and minimal debate.

But even if a vote was held Tuesday, it isn’t clear that the bill would receive the same support from the upper chamber.

“I haven’t done a head count. I think it would be fairly close,” said Sen. Bob Runciman, the bill’s sponsor in the Senate.

Even if it dies in the Senate, “the bill will show up again.”

Tuesday will also be the first day for the country’s newest senator, Sen. Scott Tannas. The Albertan who finished second in the Alberta Senate nominee election to Sen. Doug Black was appointed last month to fill the vacancy created when Bert Brown retired.